Steam-condensing apparatus.



R. D. TOMLINSON.

STEAM GONDENSING APPARATUS.

APPLIOATION IILED JAN.12, 1907.

1,058,392. A rammed Apr. 8, 1913.

Q JNVENTOR ATTORNEY.

uni srtrn ra i.

ROYAL I). TOMLINSON, OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR 'IOALLIS-GHALMERS COMPANY, OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN, A CORPORATION OF NEWJERSEY.

STEAM-CONDENSING APPARATUS.

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Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 8, 1913.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ROYAL D. ToMLrNsoN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Milwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee and State of\Visconsin, have invented a certain new and useful Steam-CondensingApparatus, of which the following is a specification. 4

This invention relates to steam condensing apparatus and has for itsobject: first, the provision of air communication between the condensingchamber and the suction of the pump. Second, providing a condenser witha pump which serves to effectively remove both the water and the air orgas from the condensing chamber without separate means for withdrawingthe air. Third, the provision of a valveless pump in which is eliminatedthe destructive effect of knocking caused by the return of thedischarged water to the vacuum spaces of the pump after successivedischarges of the contents of these chambers. Fourth, providing a meansfor automatically cutting olf the flow of condensing water into thecondensing chamber when the flow from the pump or from the condensingchamber ceases for any reason whatever.

That portion of the invention relating to the pump itself is the subjectof an application Serial LTD-"571,265, filedrJuly 11, 1910, as adivision of the present case by require ment of the Commissioner ofPatents.

The invention is described in reference to the accompanying drawing inwhich,

Figure 1 is an elevation partly in section; Fig. 2 is an end elevation;and Fig. 8 is a vertical section of a modified form of pump, parts beingbroken away.

The condensing head 1 has a steam inlet 2'at the top; a water dischargeoutlet at the bottom and intermediate the inlet 2 and the outlet pipe 3;a water inlet pipe 4 which spreads out within the condensing chamber 5in the form of an umbrella or air trap 6. A deflector 7 is fixed at thedischarge end of the water inlet pipe 4:. A pump 8 has its inlet 81connected to the water outlet pipe 3. Its discharge outlet 82 isconnected through the pipe 83 to any convenient discharge by means ofthe pipe 8 The pipe 83 is connected to the atmosphere by a port 831preferably near the discharge outlet 82. The pump is of the rotarygeared piston type and positively displaces the fluid pumped whencharge.

in operation. The impellers 85, 85, are geared together by gears 86,shown in 2. One of the impeller shafts is extended and has fixed thereona driving wheel 87.

The pump 8, as-shown in Fig. 1, has portions 88, 88, of its interiorcurved surface cut away so as to allow the fluid which is beingv pumpedto pass between the casing and the impellers while the impellers arepassing the portions 88. These cut-away portions 88, commence at points881, 881, which are slightly in advance of the tangent point on theimpeller at the time the following impeller lobe is entering intoworking coaction with the casing. This is to insure that the impellerlobes shall isolate a working space before opening up communicationthrough the cut-away portions 88 to the dis- Forthese sameconsiderations the pump casing on each side is formed to complete asemi-cylindrical working surface including the cut-away portion 88.

In the modification shown in Fig. 3, instead of using the cut-awayportions 88 of Fig. 1, air chambers 882, 882, are placed incommunication with the casing of the pump 8 at points again slightly inadvance of the Working pump space immediately after its completion.

Equalizing pipes or air discharge pipes 9 lead from underneath the airtrap 6 within the condenser head 1, through the head, and to the pumpsuction, discharging into the pump at inlets 91. But one of these pipesis shown in Fig. 1, but in practice it is usual to apply two of theseleading them to each side of the pump and also from opposite pointsunderneath the gas or air trap 6. Water conductor pipes 92 lead into theequalizing pipes 9 from any convenient source, for instance, as shown,from the condensing water inlet pipe 4;. These conductor pipes 92 arecontrolled by valves 93. The conductor pipes 92 terminate in nozzles orspray ends 94 within the pipes 9 and directed toward the pump.

The condensing water inlet pipe 1 is con-' trolled by a flap valve 41which swings on pivot 12 to which is attached an arm 48. The arm 43 isweighted by attaching thereto by any convenient linkage the weight 4:41,so as to close the valve 41 when not otherwise opposed. On the pipe 4 ispivotally mounted a bell crank lever, one arm 45 of which is notched soas to receive the end of arm 43 to set the valve 41 in an open position.The other arm 46'of the bell crank lever is connected by rod 47 tocontrolling means about to be described.

The controlling means for valve 41 in the water inlet pipe 4 consists ofthe following: In the discharge pipe 84 is pivotally mounted a flapvalve 841. On the pivot 842 of this valve is mounted an arm. 843carrying a weight 844. The arm 843 is connected by any. convenientlinkage to the piston of a dash pot 845. The arm 843 is also connectedto the rod 47 by means of a pin 846 on the arm 843 sliding in a slot 471in the rod 47. These parts are so designed that when the arm 43 islatched upon the arm 45 of the bell crank, the valve 841 will be partlyopen and be capable of opening still wider without aiiecting the setposition of arm 43. The valve 841, however, cannot be closed withouthaving rod 47 shoved downwardly by the pin 846, thus disengaging the arm43 from the arm 45 of the bell crank and allowing weight 44 to closevalve 41.

The operation of the device is as follows: Steam is condensed in thecondensing chamber 5 of the condenser head 1 as it enters the chamber atthe steam inlet 2 by the previous inrush of condensing water through thepipe 4 at its discharge end just above the umbrella or gas trap 6. Thiswater in running off from the umbrella is thrown against the inner wallsof the condenser head thus forming a seal which pre- Vents the air fromreturning above the umbrella. The condensed steam mingles with thecondensing water and the whole is discharged through the water outlet 3to the pump inlet 81. The impellers 85 of the pump as they rotate carrythis water upwardly past the inner semi-cylindrical surfaces of the pumpand discharge the same at the outlet 82. The water is then conductedalong the pipes 83 and 84 to the final discharge. Meanwhile any air orgas which may have come into the condenser either with the steam or withthe condensing water will gather underneath the gas trap 6 and beconducted from thence through the equalizing pipes 9, and will be cooledin its passage by the spray of water introduced into the pipe 9 from thecondensing water inlet pipe 4 by means of conductor pipe 92. These gasesenter the pump through the inlet 91, which is located at the highestpoint possible above the normal water line in the pump inlet 81. Theinlet 91 is the point at which .the highest vacuum is maintainedthroughout the entire apparatus. The air or gas is introduced at thispoint, will be carried along by the impellers together with any waterentering at the inlet 81, and will be urged through the pump in the sameway as the water. When the point 881, the vacuum in the pump spacebetween the impeller and the pump casing will be slowly broken by waterreturning from the pump discharge 82 and rushing into the pump' spacethrough the passage formed between the impeller lobe and the pump casingby reason of the cutaway portions 88. If there'is considerable aircarried through the pump, the vacuum will be partial only in the pumpspaces. Under normal conditions the vacuum will be high. The dischargeof water and air through the pump outlet 82 will be carried up into pipe83, the air will be discharged through port 831 to the atmosphere.

An alternative construction for relieving vacuum in the pump spaces isshown in Fig. 3. This operates in much the same way as that shown inFig. 1. When the impeller lobe passes the inlet to the air chamber, thewater previously forced into the air chamher 882 will gradually rush outand break the vacuum in the pump space. As the impeller proceeds andwhen the lobe leaves the inner semi-cylindrical surface of the pump andmoves opposite the pump discharge 82, communication is establishedbetween the air chamber 882 and the pump discharge 82. Atmosphericpressure will then cause water to rush back into air chamber 882 untilthe succeeding lobe of the impeller passes the pipe connections betweenthe air chamber and the pump.

It is obvious that the air chamber 882 need not be closed at the top. Itis also obvious that instead of having an air chamber communicate withthe pump, merely a communication through the pump casing to theatmosphere would be sutlieient. In the latter case the atmospheric airwould simply rush into the pump space to relieve the vacuum. There mightbe slight discharge of water after the vacuum was relieved, but thiswould not be much and could be easily drained away.

, The water discharged from the pump 8 in passing through the pipes 83and 84, pushes back the valve 841 keeping the same open and the arm 43latched upon the bell crank. As soon, however, as the means foroperating pump fail, or as soon as some other condition prevails whichprcoperating to close the same. During the closing, the pin 846 willshove the rod 47 downwardly thus disengaging the bell crank from the arm43 and allowing the weight 44 to close valve 41, thereby effectivelyshuttin olf flow of water to the condenser. This will prevent thedisastrous resu ts ensuing from a backing up of the water into i theengine. the forward lobe of the impeller reaches While the invention hasbeen described in reference to a steam condenser, it is obvious that itmight be applied to any apparatuswhere it is desired to condense a gasor vapor to a liquid and also where during such operation a high vacuumis to be maintained in the condensing chamber. This is the case, forinstance, in evaporators.

It should be understood that it is not desired to be limited to theexact details of construction shown and described, for obviousmodifications will occur to a person skilled in the art.

It is claimed and desired to secure by Letters Patent:

1. In a condensing apparatus, the combination of a chamber, a pump, aconduit .between the chamber and the pump, a liquid including apump, andmeans actuated by the flow of the discharge from said pump for stoppingthe fluid inlet flow.

3. The combination in a condenser, of a fluid inlet means, a fluiddischarge means, and means actuated directly by the discharge flow forstopping the inlet flow.

4:. In a condensing'apparatus, a condensing chamber, a pump having adischarge conduit, a conduit connecting said chamber with said pump,means for admitting liquid to said chamber, Valve means for controllingsaid' fluid admission means, and means controlled directly by thedischarge flow from said pump for. actuating said 7 valve means.

In testimony whereof, I afiix my signature in the presence of twoWitnesses.

' ROYAL n. TOMLINSON.

Witnesses: v 7' G. F. DE WEIN, FRANK EDENNETT.

